Staithes fishermen’s life jackets serviced thanks to festival

Fishermen in Staithes have had the cost of the annual service for their life jackets paid for, thanks to funds raised at Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage.

Organisers of the huge event last September, which attracted thousands of people to see 157 artists showcase their work at various locations throughout the seaside village, agreed to make the one-off donation at a recent committee meeting.

They met the £400 cost of the servicing of the life jackets and Sean Baxter, a commercial fisherman in the village, welcomed the move.

“To encourage fishermen to service them, each year, the festival said they would pay for the first one,” he said.

“It’s a commitment to the local fishermen in Staithes, it’s a difficult profession to be in and this helps out on the safety side.”

It was also agreed that the festival committee would support the following community projects this year: Pensioners’ Christmas Party £100; Childrens’ Christmas Party £100; Roxby Church £50 (this is in addition to the £50 that they have already received); War Memorial Fund £200; Hinderwell Church £200; Staithes Sports Association £200; Staithes Community Fund £500; Coble Courier £150; Village Hall £250; Youth Club £100; School £200; St Peters Church £1,000.

Centuries of art were celebrated at the sixth Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage last September as 157 artists transformed homes, garages and even garden sheds into pop-up galleries.

Cafes and pubs in Staithes were bursting as the event attracted people to see artwork ranging from wicker animals, paintings to hand-made jewellery across 98 different venues in the village, which has always had an appeal to artists, even before the time of the Staithes Group.